You don't know how much you appreciate blue skies until you have not seen them for days. Here in Minneapolis we started the gray sky bit a few days before Christmas and then it just went on and on. If you want me to sum up my Christmas holiday in Minneapolis I would say, "It snowed and then I shoveled. I made food and then I shoveled some more. I did the dishes and then I shoveled. I threw out the wrapping paper and then I shoveled." Every time I looked to the sky I saw snowflakes falling on my face.
Don’t get me wrong, Minneapolis is a winter city, so I am use to snow. It just usually is not a constant snow that terrorizes the public and makes national news. Everyone was prepared for the snow and in the end it was a bit disappointing. We did not get as much snow as was predicted, and what we did get on Christmas day was 35 degrees and rain. Rain on top of snow is a mess and the temps get colder and it freezes. Now Minneapolis is a skating rink.
One thing about this city is that they have plow crews that are amazing. They drop chemicals even before the snow falls keeping our streets safer. They plow down the middle of the street almost right away and then the next day they are back plowing curb to curb. If you don't move your car, you will be walled in by a pile of snow or your car will be towed and you will be at the impound lot paying lots of money in cash to get your car out. The thing all residents in Minneapolis hate is digging out after the plow has gone your street or alley. The plow creates a wall of snow in front of your curb cut that is almost as strong as concrete. No plastic shovel will break through that mass. You need almost a pick and sledge hammer.
For those of you who do not live in a winter city, you might not know that after we shovel our sidewalks and driveways, then we shovel our roofs to avoid ice dams and damage to the interior of the house. It is just not Santa up on the roof tops but the owner of houses trying to free their roof of ice dams. We have something called a snow rake that helps. If you don't know what a snow rake looks like, then Google it so you can getter a better idea of what we in Minneapolis do for fun.
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